The Dark of My Mind
Talented, young, handsome and openly out New York-based singer and songwriter Raphael has just released his debut video, “Superstar.” His album, “The Dark of My Mind,” will follow shortly.
The video is sexy, subversive and persuasive, depicting gay interracial relationships, something talked about infrequently in the community.
Raphael is a sweet, sensitive, intuitive person, possessing a creative ability and talent, which is certain to carry him far in the industry.
I understand you’re working on a couple of projects?
Yes. I’m actually working on a full album. It will be 11 tracks. I actually plan to hopefully have a video for each track. That’s really important for me. I’m a very visual person.
I noticed from your video.
I feel [that] to tell the story of the song, video is a very big part.
Do you have a favorite track on the album that you can’t wait to do the video for?
My favorite track of the album is called “So Quiet.” It’s basically about if you’ve ever been with somebody but you’re kind of shy around them. I get this all the time. They say to me, “You’re so quiet.” That’s only one of the songs that are my favorites. I plan to shoot the video in the Hamptons, sort of like a cozy campfire with friends. That’s a really cool setting for me.
How old are you?
I’m 25.
How long have you been singing?
I’m sure everybody answers this question: since I was little. But as far as professionally, when I was working on writing songs, I would say the last five years. I realized that singing in the shower was not the same thing as singing on stage or in a recording booth.
You are a New York-based singer, correct?
Yes I am.
Are you planning a tour to support the album?
Absolutely! I definitely think that it would be amazing. I love to perform, so I really look forward to doing that and sharing my music with an audience. The feelings that you get when you perform and sort of vibe off of the audience is something really special.
You have a very unique and sexy voice.
Thank you. You know, in school I would actually get made fun of for the way I talk. I use to really hate my voice. So it’s really interesting, because now I wouldn’t change it. It’s me, my sound, and I’ve learned to embrace that.
Looking into the future, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years I definitely want to see myself waking up to some Grammys on the shelf. I definitely hope to have a couple of albums underneath my belt, and have a world tour. I’m definitely shooting for the stars. I see nothing but possibilities. I am always open to possibilities. It’s really been my mentality with all of this. People who have told me “You can’t do this” or “This isn’t going to happen,” I told them, “Just watch me.”
Good for you. If somebody is interested in buying your music, where would they go, Amazon or iTunes?
Exactly. Currently you can buy “Superstar” on iTunes or you could stream it on Spotify. It’s definitely out there.
I love the song.
Thank you. I definitely want to get it out there while we’re in the transition of saying goodbye to summer and coming up to fall.
So you write your own songs?
I do, I do. I write my own songs. When I write, my writings are stream of conscious writings. I can write songs—for example, say, like a love song—I know all the right words to say, all the tricks and stuff. For me, those songs, I never really connect with them. So it’s very hard to sing those songs emotionally. So that’s why I use stream of conscious writing. I’m writing exactly the flow that is in my mind, the thoughts that are really unfiltered. So you wind up performing and connecting with those lyrics and those songs longer. They really are the darkest part of my mind.
Now you are definitely openly gay.
LOL! Haven’t you seen my video?
Do you think that being gay has an impact on your songwriting?
The songs just come to me. I don’t sit down and say “I’m going to write about guys.” It’s really about what I feel, so because I’m attracted to guys, I don’t know that it’s any different for somebody who’s attracted to girls. I think it’s about that you were attracted to someone. So you have these feelings like love, and I think it’s about expressing it.
If you could pick two celebrities to be your parents, who would you choose?
Judith Light for my mother. For my dad, I would pick John Goodman.
Growing up, what musician inspired you?
I would say Britney Spears.
Is there anything else that you would like to talk about or promote for yourself or tell your fans?
As much as I am about promotion, honestly I’m about self-liberation. I hope that listeners will listen to the music. Everybody has a story. There’s not just one way to showcase a love song. A lot of us are afraid to say and show something. Embrace that we are all really different and we all have our own stories and we should learn a lot from each other.
